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Sharif presses for serious dialogue with India

‘Bring Kashmir on talks table’ Sharif said he is committed to a “serious‚ sustained and constructive engagement” with India that must include the issue of Jammu and Kashmir He described the recent tension along the LoC as matter of concern and said Pakistan will respond to the situation with "restraint and responsibility"

"I have always given high priority to good relations with India for the sake of durable peace in the region. We are keen to have a comprehensive dialogue with India for resolution of all issues, including Kashmir. — Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan PM

On US drone strikes The US strategy of using drone strikes in Pakistan against terrorists not only violates the country's sovereignty and international law but are also counter- productive and causes further radicalisation in the society

On terror The menace of terrorism in the region is the outcome of wrong policies in the past. Pakistan needs the cooperation and support of international community and neighbours for destroying terror networks

Islamabad, September 17
Asserting that people had given him the mandate to improve ties with neighbours, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said Pakistan is keen to have a comprehensive dialogue with India for resolution of all issues, including Kashmir.

Sharif said he is committed to a "serious‚ sustained and constructive engagement" with India that must include the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. Describing the recent tension on the LoC as a matter of concern, he said Pakistan will respond to the situation with "restraint and responsibility".

In an interview to a Turkish media network, Sharif said his government is pursuing a foreign policy of forging stable and cooperative relations with all countries, especially neighbouring countries. "For the effective pursuit of our socio-economic agenda, good relations with all our neighbours are essential and a priority for my government," said Sharif, who is currently in Turkey on a three-day official visit.

"I have always given high priority to good relations with India for the sake of durable peace in the region. We are keen to have a comprehensive dialogue with India for the resolution of all issues, including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir," he said. Sharif said he started this process when the then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Lahore in 1999 and the two sides were very close to finding a negotiated settlement to the Kashmir dispute.

On the issue of negotiations with the Pakistani Taliban, Sharif said his government is ready to hold dialogue with those who are ready to shun extremism.

Sharif said that the government has more than one option to deal with terrorists‚ but shall use force only as a last option to avoid further loss of innocent lives. He said the menace of terrorism in the region "is the outcome of wrong policies in the past". Sharif said Pakistan needs the cooperation and support of international community and neighbours for controlling funding‚ supply of arms and training to terror networks.

Sharif said the US strategy of using drone strikes in Pakistan against terrorists not only violates the country's sovereignty and international law but are also counter- productive and causes further radicalisation in the society.

He said these strikes "undermine our collective efforts to counter extremism and terrorism". He hoped that there is a rethink in the US about the utility of the drone strikes. — PTI